Creating Paradise from the Heart of Hell

🌻🔆Engineering Paradise from the Heart of Hell🔆🌻

🌼🔆🌼The Art of Defeating Satan🌼🔆🌼

🌹🔅☘️ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ ☘️🔅🌹

🔅🌹 “May I be your ransom”  “Recognising satanic and divine promptings”  “The secret of thought” “The perceptual system”  “Verses 13 and 14 of Supplication 20” and more… Abstract with supplement       1404.10.11    Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141 (903)  🌹🔅

🔅🌼 🌼🔅

❇️ The art of turning sin into good deeds in verse 13 of Supplication 20 of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya

 🌸اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ، وَ مَا أَجْرَى عَلَى لِسَانِي مِنْ لَفْظَةِ فُحْشٍ أَوْ هُجْرٍ أَوْ شَتْمِ عِرْضٍ أَوْ شَهَادَةِ بَاطِلٍ أَوِ اغْتِيَابِ مُؤْمِنٍ غَائِبٍ أَوْ سَبِّ حَاضِرٍ وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ نُطْقاً بِالْحَمْدِ لَكَ، وَ إِغْرَاقاً فِي الثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْكَ، وَ ذَهَاباً فِي تَمْجِيدِكَ، وَ شُكْراً لِنِعْمَتِكَ، وَ اعْتِرَافاً بِإِحْسَانِكَ، وَ إِحْصَاءً لِمِنَنِكَ.

🌷“O God! In place of the vain hopes, evil suspicions, and envy that Satan casts into my heart, place remembrance of Your greatness, reflection on Your power, and resolve to outwit Your enemy! And whatever passes my lips—foul or idle speech, words that assail someone’s honour, false testimony, backbiting an absent believer, insulting someone present, and the like—turn it into words of praise for You, immersion in glorifying You, a journey toward extolling You, gratitude for Your blessings, acknowledgement of Your beneficence, and a reckoning of Your favours!”

❇️Turn hell into paradise

 In verse 13 of Supplication 20, Imam al-Sajjad, peace be upon him, sketches a picture of hell and a blueprint for paradise. Two distinct realms: … مِنَ التَّمَنِّي… ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ …

The first realm evokes hell—darkness. The human being is hell made manifest in the first realm; the earth, in the first realm, is the cosmos.

The second realm evokes paradise—light. The human being is paradise made manifest in the second realm; the earth, in the first realm, is the cosmos.

The world of the end times belongs to the first realm and must return to the second.

If the planet Earth were to turn itself toward the second realm for just one day, it would witness the effects, wonders, and transformations that follow.

Imam al-Sajjad, peace be upon him, teaches us how to engineer paradise from the heart of hell.

Imam al-Sajjad, peace be upon him, teaches us the most artful ways to defeat Satan.

Thanks be to God for the great blessing of Imam al-Sajjad, peace be upon him, and the purified Household of the Prophet!

❇️Turn your heart toward God

The entry of satanic promptings into the heart marks the beginning of great trials. We must block their path of entry, recognise them, and take artful steps to neutralise them.

Make your heart’s frequency celestial, so it will not receive satanic frequencies

Make your heart Muhammadan

Connection with the Two Weighty Things is possible only through a sound-hearted disposition and sincere intention. This is a connection with the heart of prophethood, with the network of the hearts of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, peace be upon them—a means of equipping the heart to receive divine inspirations.

❇️The key to freedom from satanic promptings and to receiving divine inspirations is to have a Muhammadan heart

✅This hadith both reveals the secret of the Muhammadan heart and offers practical guidance for freeing oneself from vain desires, unfounded suspicions, and envy!

💫 عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، قَالَ: خَطَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ النَّاسَ فِي حِجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّهُ- وَ اللَّهِ- مَا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ يُقَرِّبُكُمْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَ يُبَاعِدُكُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ، وَ مَا مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ يُقَرِّبُكُمْ مِنَ النَّارِ وَ يُبَاعِدُكُمْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْهُ، وَ إِنَّ الرُّوحَ الْأَمِينَ قَدْ نَفَثَ‏ فِي‏ رُوعِي‏ أَنَّهُ لَا تَمُوتُ نَفْسٌ حَتَّى تَسْتَكْمِلَ رِزْقَهَا، فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ‏، وَ أَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ، وَ لَا يَحْمِلَنَّ أَحَدَكُمُ اسْتِبْطَاءُ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ أَنْ يَطْلُبَهُ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُدْرَكُ شَيْ‏ءٌ مِمَّا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ‏  إِلَّا بِطَاعَتِه‏[1]

🔆Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: During the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Messenger of God (PBUH) delivered a sermon and said:

“O people! By God, there is nothing that brings you closer to Paradise and farther from the Fire that I have not commanded you to do, and nothing that brings you closer to the Fire and farther from Paradise that I have not forbidden you to do. The Trustworthy Spirit (Gabriel) has indeed inspired me that no one dies until they have received their full provision. So be mindful of God and seek your provision in a good and upright manner. Let no one among you be driven by a delay in receiving any part of their provision to seek it by wrongful means, for nothing of what is with God can be attained except through obedience to Him.”

☘️The Connection Between Provision and Death (A Message of Divine Hope)

The Prophet (PBUH) reports the inspiration of the Trustworthy Spirit (Gabriel): no one dies until they have received their provision in full.

☘️This assurance carries two important messages:

1. Easing anxiety about livelihood: A person need not fear that they will lack provision, for what has been allotted to them will surely reach them.

2. Paying attention to how one seeks provision: Since provision is assured, no one should resort to what is forbidden or unjust to obtain it.

☘️The Advice to Seek Provision with Moderation

“أَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ” means that one should seek provision moderately and honourably.

This advice guards against two extremes:

Idleness and giving up all effort (under the pretext of reliance on God).

Unbridled greed and covetousness (which lead a person to what is forbidden and to injustice).

In Islam, economic life should be balanced, lawful and grounded in ethics.

☘️A Warning Against “Seeking Provision by Wrongful Means”

If provision is slow to arrive, one should not take a forbidden path: lawful provision is blessed, while unlawful provision is ruinous.

“لا یُدرک شیءٌ مما عند الله إلا بطاعته”: The treasures of God—material and spiritual blessings—can be attained only through obedience to Him, not through sin.

This outlook leaves Satan no foothold in a person’s heart from which to plant his suggestions of wishful thinking, conjecture and envy!

❇️The road to lawful provision is wide,

and Satan has no appetite for pure food! He is nourished by foulness.

Pure food leaves Satan powerless to gain mastery over the human heart or plant his vile suggestions there!

💫 عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: لَيْسَ مِنْ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا وَ قَدْ فَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهَا رِزْقَهَا حَلَالًا يَأْتِيهَا فِي عَافِيَةٍ وَ عَرَضَ لَهَا بِالْحَرَامِ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ فَإِنْ هِيَ تَنَاوَلَتْ شَيْئاً مِنَ الْحَرَامِ قَاصَّهَا بِهِ‏  مِنَ الْحَلَالِ الَّذِي فَرَضَ لَهَا وَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ سِوَاهُمَا فَضْلٌ كَثِيرٌ وَ هُوَ قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ سْئَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِه‏[2]

🔆Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: There is no one for whom God, the Mighty and Great, has not decreed a lawful provision that will reach them in peace and well-being. At the same time, He places an unlawful provision within their reach by another means. If they take any of what is unlawful, God reduces by that amount the lawful provision He had decreed for them. And with God there are abundant blessings and gifts beyond these two. This is the meaning of the noble verse: «And seek of God’s bounty.»

☘️A detailed and wisdom-filled explanation of these radiant hadiths:

1. The principle that “one’s provision is completed before death”:

This teaching, conveyed to the Prophet (PBUH) through the inspiration of the trustworthy Gabriel, is a consoling article of faith.

It does not mean that a person should simply sit and wait. Rather, it means that lawful effort—seeking provision in a measured and virtuous way—is the means by which a person receives the provision decreed for them and benefits from God’s gracious gifts.

This belief eases existential anxiety about one’s livelihood and prevents a person from resorting to what is unlawful in pursuit of provision.

☘️The difference between “decreed lawful provision” and “unlawful provision placed within reach”:

God has allotted everyone a share of pure, lawful provision. If they act with piety and patience, it will reach them in due course and without undue distress.

Alongside it, unlawful provision is also presented in each person’s life in tempting forms, such as dubious wealth, bribery, usurpation, usury, and the like.

A person faces a test of choice: either to take the harder but lawful path, or the easier but unlawful one.

☘️The divine law of “unlawful gain being offset against lawful provision”:

If someone takes unlawful provision, their decreed lawful provision is reduced by the same amount.

This is a divine law woven into the order of creation, not merely a moral warning:

☘️For example, someone who takes a bribe may later lose the same amount through medical expenses or financial loss.

Or the blessing may depart from their wealth, leaving them without true peace despite their riches.

In the Hereafter, too, they will face a double reckoning: for the unlawful gain itself, and for the lawful provision they forfeited.

☘️The importance of “piety and patience” in seeking provision:

The key to receiving lawful provision is piety—putting God-consciousness into practice—and patience in enduring the hardships of the lawful path.

Piety means avoiding what is unlawful and abiding by religious rulings in one’s work and business dealings.

Patience means not letting impatience drive a person toward unlawful ways.

☘️The meaning of “tearing the veil of concealment” (shattering the bounds of modesty):

Consuming what is unlawful is not merely a financial sin; it is a breach of moral and religious boundaries.

By committing what is unlawful, a person erodes their inner modesty and purity, and makes themselves more susceptible to greater sins.

☘️“God’s bounty” goes beyond decreed provision:

Alongside the lawful and unlawful provision He has decreed, God has bestowed His boundless bounty and generosity.

This bounty includes spiritual blessings, blessing in one’s wealth, unexpected openings, and rewards in the Hereafter.

It may be attained through supplication, gratitude, charitable giving, righteous deeds, and seeking the intercession of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS).

☘️Practical lessons for life today:

1. Manage your financial worries: have faith that your provision is decreed and will come through lawful effort.

2. Take financial temptations seriously: bribery, shortchanging customers, usury, and the like offer only apparent profit and ultimately diminish your lawful provision.

3. Ask God to grant you relief: rather than resorting to what is unlawful, seek an opening through His boundless bounty, with supplication and charitable giving.

4. Build your family’s economy on what is lawful: raising a generation that is mindful of what is halal and haram is possible only when parents put these principles into practice.

5. Be patient: lasting economic success requires patience and perseverance along a legitimate path.

☘️These hadith beautifully portray a God-centred outlook on the economy and livelihood:

an outlook in which blessing matters more than quantity, purity more than speed, and God’s pleasure more than the market’s.

This is among the secrets of deliverance from “wishful longing, baseless conjecture, and envy.”

☘️When a person is certain that every kind of sustenance—material, emotional, pleasurable, intellectual, sensory, relational, social, and every other kind—will reach its full fruition, they will no longer be caught up in empty wishes, false conjectures, envy, or any other corruption.

Yet a person must, in any case, fortify themselves against every satanic influence, even at the lowest level. The finest means is heartfelt supplication before the Almighty, the All-Powerful: «اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي …»

❇️The Human Computer

Take care that Satan and your lower self do not become the user of your computer—the processing system that is your very being—and feed you their desires, appetites, longings, conjectures, and impurities. Strive to keep your heart sound and your inner self pure, so that their way in—and their hold over you—is blocked. Remember God constantly, and seek refuge in Him from their evil.

🌸اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ

❇️Rūʿ

Rūʿ has various meanings, such as “heart,” “the depths of the heart,” and “mind.” Broadly speaking, however, it can be understood as the human faculty of perception: the centre of decision-making, information, and action.

❇️Wishful longing

Tamannī: a desire or wish to attain something sought after; something false, unknown, unreliable, or something one has not been advised to attend to; an illusion, a base or poisoned appetite, an appetite arising from ignorance, Satan, or the lower self; a lowly, premeditated wish; blind hopes and plans that consume one’s life and command one’s attention and focus.

Wishful longing diverts one from the path, turning the course of growth towards decline and ruin.

Wishful longing is trusting the commands of the lower self.

It leads one away from the path of innate nature and causes one to forget one’s destination and purpose.

Such longings are unknown: one cannot tell whether they are one’s own appetites or those of one’s parasites.

They are appetites for decline, like the appetites of cockroaches and mice, drawing a person towards degradation.

They are satanic appetites, opposed to angelic ones.

They stifle a person’s Quranic and Ahl al-Bayt-inspired appetites.

☘️أُمنيّة: a wish. Rāghib says it is the image of wishing for something as it forms in the mind. It can also mean “falsehood,” as stated in al-Qāmūs and al-Aqrab; al-Ṣiḥāḥ says that in this sense it is a metathesis of “mīn,” meaning “lie.”

☘️Rāghib explains the reason:

Since falsehood is most often conceived as imagining something unreal and then expressing it in words, it is appropriate to use “wishful longing” to refer to lying. It is also related on the authority of someone who said:

«مَا تَغَنَّيْتُ وَ لَا تَمَنَّيْتُ‏ مُنْذُ أَسْلَمْتُ»

“Since I embraced Islam, I have neither sung nor lied.”

☘️“Remembering God’s greatness” raises a person towards greatness and spiritual elevation, purifying and ennobling their appetites. المرء مع من احب

✨وَ ما أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ وَ لا نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا إِذا تَمَنَّى‏ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطانُ فِي‏ أُمْنِيَّتِهِ‏ فَيَنْسَخُ اللَّهُ ما يُلْقِي الشَّيْطانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ اللَّهُ آياتِهِ وَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ. لِيَجْعَلَ ما يُلْقِي الشَّيْطانُ فِتْنَةً لِلَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَ الْقاسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ‏ … وَ لِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكَ فَيُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ … Hajj: 52–54.

☘️Read without preconceptions or distortion, the verses mean that whenever a prophet or messenger seeks to put into practice a programme of worshipping God and establishing just rule, Satan, through the seduction of those who have gone astray, stirs up conflict, turmoil and division in opposition to his plans, thereby shaking the prophet’s efforts to bring them to fruition. Then God, by aiding His prophet, dispels the turmoil and brings the prophet’s purpose to fulfilment. This has two results: first, those whose hearts are sick are put to the test; when turmoil breaks out, they go knocking at one door and then another. Second, once the discord has subsided, the discerning recognise that the prophet’s religion is true and that God supports him.

Accordingly, «أمنيّة» in the verse refers to the prophet’s practical aspiration: putting his plans for monotheism into effect. This becomes clear from studying the lives of the Messenger, Moses and others (AS).[3]

✨Al-Baqarah: 94   قُلْ إِنْ كانَتْ لَكُمُ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ خالِصَةً مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقينَ

🔆Say, “If the Hereafter is—as you claim—reserved for you alone with God, to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death, if you are truthful!”

✨Al-Jumu‘ah: 6   قُلْ يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ هادُوا إِنْ زَعَمْتُمْ أَنَّكُمْ أَوْلِياءُ لِلَّهِ مِنْ دُونِ النَّاسِ فَتَمَنَّوُا الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقينَ

🔆Say, “O Jews! If you claim that you alone, to the exclusion of all other people, are God’s beloved, then wish for death, if you are truthful” (so that you may meet your Beloved)!

✨Al-Nisā’: 119   وَ لَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَ لَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَ لَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ آذانَ الْأَنْعامِ وَ لَآمُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ اللَّهِ وَ مَنْ يَتَّخِذِ الشَّيْطانَ وَلِيًّا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْراناً مُبيناً

🔆“I will lead them astray and fill them with vain hopes. I will command them to perform superstitious rites and slit the ears of livestock, and to alter God’s pure creation (and taint the innate disposition towards monotheism with idolatry)!” Whoever takes Satan as a protector instead of God has suffered a manifest loss.

☘️Of the meanings of «منّى», “to pour into the womb” seems preferable to the present writer. But in أَ فَرَأَيْتُمْ ما تُمْنُونَ‏ al-Wāqi‘ah: 58, it means “to pour”: “Have you considered the drop of semen that you emit?” *Tamannī* means “to wish,” since what is wished for is measured out and given form in the human mind. وَ لَقَدْ كُنْتُمْ‏ تَمَنَّوْنَ‏ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَلْقَوْهُ‏ Āl ‘Imrān:

☘️“You used to wish for death before you met it.” وَ لا تَتَمَنَّوْا ما فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلى‏ بَعْضٍ‏ Al-Nisā’: 32.

Apparently, this refers either to the differences between women and men in their creation, or to disparities in wealth and the division of inheritance. See the commentaries.

❇️An example of reprehensible wishes and their figurative meaning

💫الْعَيَّاشِيُّ: عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ: وَ لا تَتَمَنَّوْا ما فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلى‏ بَعْضٍ‏. قَالَ: «لَا يَتَمَنَّى الرَّجُلُ امْرَأَةَ الرَّجُلِ وَ لَا ابْنَتَهُ، وَ لَكِنْ يَتَمَنَّى مِثْلَهُمَا».^[4]

🔆 عَبْدُالرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي نَجْرَان He says: I asked Imam al-Bāqir (AS) about God’s words:

“Do not covet what God has bestowed on some of you in preference to others” (al-Nisā’: 32).

The Imam (AS) replied: “A man should not covet another man’s wife or daughter; rather, he should wish for someone like them.”

☘️ Aspirations that are wholesome and virtuous:

The Imam (AS), by citing clear examples, forbids a particular kind of desire:

Desiring someone else’s wife (coveting another woman).

Desiring someone else’s daughter (with a view to marrying her or taking possession of her).

These two cases are clear examples of “destructive desire,” which:

violates the sanctity of families;

infringes on the rights of others;

is usually accompanied by lust and possessiveness;

and leads to social corruption and the erosion of moral foundations.

☘️ A permissible alternative: “ولکن یتمنی مثلهما”

After forbidding this, the Imam (AS) points to the right course:

“Desire someone like them,” that is:

Instead of coveting a particular person’s wife, ask God to grant you a virtuous and worthy wife like her.

Instead of desiring a particular person’s daughter, ask God to grant you a righteous daughter or a wife with fine qualities.

This change in outlook has several positive effects:

Respecting boundaries: You do not intrude on another family.

Positive motivation: You work to improve your own life.

Contentment with divine decree: Within the bounds of religious and ethical rights, each person seeks to improve their own circumstances.

☘️ The broader meaning of this interpretation:

Although the Imam (AS) gives women and daughters as examples, his words point to a general principle:

Desiring another person’s specific possessions—for example, their house, car or job—when accompanied by envy and wrongful covetousness, is also wrong.

The right course is to ask God for a similar blessing, without setting one’s sights on what belongs to others.

☘️ Connection with ethical concepts:

Envy (hasad): wishing that others be deprived of their blessings.

Emulation (ghibṭa): wishing to enjoy a blessing like someone else’s, without wishing that it be taken away from them.

The hadith of Imam al-Baqir (AS) affirms wholesome emulation while rejecting destructive envy.

☘️ Practical lessons for life today:

1. On social media, where displays of people’s blessings are amplified, let us be careful that our desires do not shift from wholesome emulation to destructive envy.

2. Rather than coveting what others possess, let us strive to attain, lawfully and legitimately, what we ourselves are worthy of.

3. In our prayers, let us always ask God for blessings like the good ones others enjoy, rather than coveting those very blessings unjustly.

☘️ This interpretation by Imam al-Baqir (AS) offers a precise measure by which to weigh our inward desires.

Instead of longing for another’s garden,

tend your own.

❇️Tazanni

Tazanni: relying on conjecture—supposition unsupported by reason. Conjecture guided by reason leads towards certainty; conjecture guided by the whims of the self, ignorance and Satan leads towards ruin, doubt and shirk.

Tazanni is the product of a decision-making and inference process that is neither scientific nor rational.

❇️Envy

Envy: in itself, the mother of all afflictions; the most ill-omened of evils; a worm that gnaws at the soul and at the world; the most dour of moral vices; a cause of many physical and spiritual illnesses; and a force that sends out profoundly dangerous and destructive waves.

Envy, the darkest and most ill-omened element of creation

The envious person longs for the whole world to perish—and not only wishes for its destruction, but plots it as well.

💫Al-Mā’idah: 32   مِنْ أَجْلِ ذلِكَ كَتَبْنا عَلى‏ بَني‏ إِسْرائيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْساً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّما قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَميعاً وَ مَنْ أَحْياها فَكَأَنَّما أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَميعاً وَ لَقَدْ جاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنا بِالْبَيِّناتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثيراً مِنْهُمْ بَعْدَ ذلِكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ

🔆For this reason, We decreed for the Children of Israel that whoever kills a person—unless in retribution for murder or for spreading corruption in the land—it is as though he had killed all humanity; and whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all humanity. Our messengers came to them with clear proofs, yet many of them, even after that, transgressed and exceeded all bounds in the land.

❇️Remembering Your Greatness:

 Let the flight of aspiration take the place of the collapse of hopes

❇️Reflecting on Your Power:

 The human faculty of perception is strengthened and supported by divine power

Reflection is the mind’s system of reason searching, investigating and striving to detect and absorb intellectual currents, in order to find what is lost, discover what knowledge is needed, and uncover the answers to intellectual questions

Seeking light, casting light, and reading the book of human nature

Reflection sets the human system in motion. An hour of reflection brings greater spiritual reward than seventy years of worship; it makes a person’s life like Laylat al-Qadr. Reflection elevates the state of servitude to God, and advances and ennobles a person.

Through reflection, a journey of seventy years can be traversed in a single moment.

The kind of reflection determines its quality. Reflecting on divine power—the signs of the Lord’s power—is unlike all other kinds of reflection.

Reflection keeps a person clear of predicaments

Reflection makes worship and deeds as precious as diamonds. Abundant worship joined with reflection lays the groundwork for great miracles.

Reflecting on the grandeur of creation is a vessel for journeying toward the greatness of Allah.

❇️Planning against Your Enemy:

 The force that served envy is placed at reason’s disposal: instead of a friend, one targets God’s enemy, seeking to undo him—which is a form of reform and healing.

❇️The Ominous Triangle

“Wishful thinking, baseless suspicion and envy” form the ominous triangle behind all corruption. United, these three ill-omened traits give rise to every kind of corruption and sin in the world.

Blind appetite, accompanied by blind suspicion and fuelled by envy, is a storm of corruption!

When coupled with envy, the far-reaching tendencies to wish and suspect can bring forth a vast array of physical and spiritual ailments.

❇️Examples of Wishful Thinking

☘️A person asks God to turn wishful thinking (false hopes), baseless suspicion (ill opinions) and envy—things Satan plants in the heart—into remembrance of His greatness, reflection on His power, and purposeful action against God’s enemy. I will list some clear examples of these two concepts:

1. Examples of “wishful thinking” (false and destructive hopes)

These hopes usually spring from satanic fantasies and distance a person from reality and constructive action:

Wishing for another person’s wealth and status: longing for someone else’s luxurious home, wealth, social standing, car or even family circumstances. (This comes very close to envy.)

Wishing to change an unchangeable past: longing to undo events that have already happened and cannot be changed, such as “If only I had never met that person” or “If only I had not made that decision,” until the wish becomes a recurring, paralysing regret.

Wishing for success without effort: hoping to gain knowledge without study, attain spiritual rank without discipline and worship, or become wealthy without effort and lawful work.

Wishing for revenge and harm to others: wishing in one’s mind for others to suffer harm, defeat or disgrace (this, too, is one of Satan’s whisperings).

Wishing to alter the divine decree: wishing for something contrary to the destiny and wisdom God has ordained for a person, without trusting in or accepting the divine decree.

All blind worldly wishes

❇️Examples of tazannī

2. Examples of “tazannī” (negative assumptions and suspicion)

These assumptions are mostly directed at social interactions and other people’s intentions, and undermine the foundations of healthy relationships:

☘️Suspecting others’ intentions: viewing other people’s kind actions with suspicion—for example, assuming that a gift, an offer of help or advice must conceal some ulterior motive or an expectation of something in return.

☘️Suspecting others’ words: interpreting ordinary remarks as sarcasm, insinuation, insult or conspiracy—for example, taking “You look very cheerful today” as a sarcastic comment about how one looked on previous days.

☘️Suspecting the divine decree: thinking ill of God when faced with difficulties—for example, viewing hardships or limitations in life as signs of God’s anger or indifference, rather than as a trial, an expression of divine wisdom or a means of spiritual elevation.

☘️Suspecting the faithful and the righteous: thinking ill of religious people, and seeing their acts of worship or ethical conduct as signs of hypocrisy, arrogance or self-interest.

☘️Suspicion in social and political matters: judging and analysing social events on the basis of sheer pessimism and baseless conspiracy theories, attributing every action to hostility and corruption without considering the many possible factors involved or the possibility of error.

☘️A practical point about the specific wisdom of this supplication:

In this supplication, one does not ask God to eradicate these thoughts entirely (since it is often impossible to control the mind completely), but rather asks Him to transform them (جَعْل) and redirect their purpose. This is a profound spiritual practice:

☘️Transforming “wishes and suspicions” into “remembering God’s greatness and reflecting on His power”:

Instead of wishing for what others possess, I turn my attention to the greatness of God, the Provider, and reflect on His power to bestow provision in its many forms.

Instead of wishing to change the past, I reflect on God’s wise power, through which He brings some good out of every event.

☘️Transforming “suspicion and envy” into “devising a plan against your enemy”:

Instead of suspecting people, I see this suspicion as a sign of the real enemy—Satan, who seeks to sow discord. So rather than fixating on a person, I think about how to thwart Satan’s schemes in social relationships.

Instead of being suspicious of the divine decree, I understand this suspicion as part of Satan’s plot to turn me away from acceptance and trust in God, and join with God in seeking freedom from this whispering.

This supplication is, in effect, a lesson in managing and directing negative thoughts towards positive spiritual energy. A mindful person turns every satanic whisper into a bridge that brings them closer to God.

❇️Passages 13 and 14 of Supplication 20 in al-Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي‏ مِنَ التَّمَـنِّـي وَ التَّظَـنِّـي وَ الْحَـسَـدِ

O God, whatever Satan casts into my thoughts—idle wishes, ill suspicions and envy—

ذِكْـراً لِعَظَمَـتِـكَ، وَ تَفَـكُّـراً فِـي قُدْرَتِـكَ، وَ تَـدْبِـيراً عَلَـى عَـدُوِّـكَ

transform it into remembrance of Your greatness, reflection on Your power, and devising a plan against Your enemy.

وَ مَا أَجْـرَى عَلَـى لِسَـانِـي مِنْ لَفْظَـةِ فُحْـشٍ أَوْ هُجْـرٍ أَوْ شَتْـمِ عِـرْضٍ

And whatever issues from my tongue—foul speech, disrespect or disgrace—

أَوْ شَهَـادَةِ بَاطِـلٍ أَوِ اغْتِـيَابِ مُؤْمِـنٍ غَائِـبٍ أَوْ سَـبِّ حَاضِـرٍ وَ مَا أَشْبَـهَ ذَلِـكَ

false testimony, or backbiting an absent believer, or insulting someone who is present, or anything of that sort—

نُطْـقاً بِالْحَمْـدِ لَـكَ، وَ إِغْـرَاقًـا فِـي الثَّنَـاءِ عَلَـيْـكَ، وَ ذَهَـابًـا فِـي تَمْجِـيدِـكَ

transform it into words of praise for You, immersion in Your glorification, and a turning toward extolling You,

وَ شُكْـراً لِنِعْـمَتِـكَ، وَ اعْتِـرَافاً بِإِحْسَـانِـكَ، إِحْصَـاءً لِمِـنَـنِـكَ.

and gratitude for Your blessings, acknowledgment of Your beneficence, and enumeration of Your favors.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ، وَ لَا أُظْلَمَنَّ وَ أَنْتَ مُطِيقٌ لِلدَّفْعِ عَنِّي

O God, bless Muhammad and his family. Do not let me be wronged when You are able to ward it off from me,

وَ لَا أَظْلِمَنَّ وَ أَنْتَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى الْقَبْضِ مِنِّي

or let me wrong another when You are able to restrain me [from doing so],

وَ لَا أَضِلَّنَّ وَ قَدْ أَمْكَنَتْكَ هِدَايَتِي

or let me stray when You can guide me,

وَ لَا أَفْتَقِرَنَّ وَ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ وُسْعِي

or let me fall into need when relief comes from You,

وَ لَا أَطْغَيَنَّ وَ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ وُجْدِي.

or let me grow arrogant when my prosperity comes from You.

✳️✅ ❇️ ✨💫🔆 A comprehensive system of knowledge and a way of life

1. Semantics and linguistics

Key metaphors: “Engineering heaven from the heart of hell” and “the artful defeat of Satan” are powerful metaphors that depict an active, creative, and complex process. They point to a “phenomenological” approach to suffering and temptation: evil is not something merely to be endured, but raw material for radical transformation.

Lexical implications: A close analysis of words such as “ruʿ,” “tamanni,” “tazanni,” and “hasad,” and their contrast with “dhikr,” “tafakkur,” and “tadbir,” reveals a dual system of signification. It sets the realm of “Satan”—destructive, blind, passive—against the realm of “the All-Merciful”—constructive, clear-sighted, active. Transforming one into the other is a linguistic act of meaning-making that redefines inner and outer reality.

2. Epistemology

The sources of knowledge: The text clearly identifies two sources of thoughts and motives: “satanic promptings” and “merciful inspirations.” This is a transhuman epistemology in which the validity of knowledge depends on its source.

The means of knowing: The “sound heart,” or “Muhammadan heart,” is presented as the primary faculty for receiving truths. This heart is not merely emotional; it is an intuitive intellect and a purified perceptual faculty capable of discerning the source of promptings. “Reflecting on divine power” is also prescribed as a means of attaining knowledge.

Turning doubt into certainty: The process of “transforming tazanni into tadbir” exemplifies a practical epistemological method. Even negative suppositions, treated as raw data, can, through a change of perspective, become tools for knowing the enemy and discerning divine power.

3. Political and social philosophy

The social engineering of a utopia: “Engineering heaven from the heart of hell” may be understood as a dynamic utopia. It is realized not through external revolution or merely legal structures, but through an inner revolution in each individual, transforming their thoughts and intentions. The ideal society is one in which the prevailing spiritual atmosphere has shifted from “wishful longing and envy” to “remembrance and gratitude.”

Psycho-politics: Rather than focusing on structures of power, the text emphasizes self-governance and the management of hearts and minds. The power it speaks of is the power to master temptations and transform them into spiritual energy. This may be understood as a form of spiritual biopolitics, in which the individual’s body and psyche become the primary arena of struggle and cultivation.

A critique of an economy driven by greed: The emphasis on “moderation in seeking” and avoiding what is forbidden amounts to a fundamental critique of consumerist capitalism, with its insatiable appetite. An economy grounded in “certainty in one’s apportioned provision” is an economy of trust in God, contentment, and ethical principles—one that dispels the existential anxiety born of scarcity.

4. Psychology (especially positive psychology and depth psychology)

Spiritual sublimation: The central core of the prayer offers a practical method of sublimation. Rather than suppressing negative desires (wishfulness, envy), it proposes redirecting their psychic energy and transforming it into higher pursuits (remembrance, reflection, deliberation).

Cognitive-spiritual therapy: The text offers a comprehensive treatment for moral vices. It identifies the “sinister triad of wishfulness, suspicion, and envy” as a primary cause of psychosomatic illness, and prescribes a “compound remedy” of remembrance, reflection, and deliberation.

Personality development and self-actualization: The ultimate aim is to attain a “Muhammadan heart,” through which a person realizes their highest human potential as God’s vicegerent. This concept closely resembles self-actualization in humanistic psychology (Maslow), with the difference that its model and path are defined by a transcendent exemplar—the Prophet.

5. Ontology

A two-realm ontology: The text is founded on a dual ontology comprising the realm of malakūt (the divine) and the realm of nāsūt (the earthly) / the demonic realm. These are not merely separate realms; they are engaged in an ontological struggle.

Existence as a battlefield: Human existence and the world are an arena of struggle between the forces of light and darkness. Every thought, intention, and word either enlarges the realm of paradise (light, knowledge, unity) or that of hell (darkness, ignorance, discord).

The transformation of being: The concept of “transformation” is key to the ontology of this text. Just as matter and energy transform into one another in physics, in this view “sin” (degraded energy) can be transformed into “merit” (elevated energy). This is a dynamic and hopeful vision of existence, in which nothing—not even the vilest temptation—is inherently useless; anything can become raw material for spiritual ascent.

6. Sociology

Society as a field of spiritual forces: Society is not merely a structure of institutions, but an aggregation of hearts and minds influenced by divine or demonic promptings. Social problems stem from the dominance of the “first atmosphere” (hell).

A theory of social change: The transformation of society from “hell” to “paradise” does not necessarily come about through sweeping structural and political change, but through changing each individual’s “perceptual system” and creating a “network of Muhammadan hearts.” This is a network-based theory of social change focused on spiritual agents.

Symbolic interactionism: Analysis of instances of “suspicion” shows that everyday social interactions are where this spiritual struggle emerges and unfolds. Our interpretation of others’ actions—which may be based on suspicion or understanding—shapes social reality.

7. A broader analysis: A comprehensive epistemic-practical paradigm

This text is not simply a moral exhortation; it offers a paradigmatic framework in which:

Humanity’s fundamental problem is enslavement to the “sinister triad” and acceptance of demonic promptings in place of divine inspiration.

The solution is “transformation” and the existential “reverse engineering” of the self through a specific spiritual technology, whose instruments are prayer, reflection, remembrance, and the cultivation of the “heart.”

The ultimate aim is to create a “paradise-encompassing human being” and, on a broader scale, an “earth cultivated as paradise.”

This paradigm claims to offer a powerful form of power-knowledge in the Foucauldian sense, managing and reshaping individuals and society by defining what is divine and what is demonic. The power of this discourse lies in internalizing control and turning self-discipline into a political-spiritual act of worship.

Summary: Analysis of this text shows that we are dealing with an integrated system of thought that offers complex and profound answers to fundamental questions of knowledge, existence, the psyche, and society. Centered on “transformation” and the “engineering of being,” this system aims to move from passivity in the face of evil to an active, creative state that brings paradise into being, both within and without.

🌼Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903)🌼

Key Statements

 Ranked according to conceptual power, epistemic density, and scope of influence across different levels,

Priority 1 (the central core and main innovation of the text):

“اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ مَا يُلْقِي الشَّيْطَانُ فِي رُوعِي مِنَ التَّمَنِّي وَ التَّظَنِّي وَ الْحَسَدِ ذِكْراً لِعَظَمَتِكَ، وَ تَفَكُّراً فِي قُدْرَتِكَ، وَ تَدْبِيراً عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ”

O God! Transform what Satan casts into my heart… into remembrance of Your greatness, reflection on Your power, and devising a strategy against Your enemy!

Reason for selection:

This sentence is the beating heart and revolutionary formula of the entire text. It:

Introduces the paradigm of “transformation”: not suppression or denial, but turning negative raw material (desire, suspicion, envy) into positive, transcendent energy. This is a strategic innovation in ethical practice and spiritual psychology.

Sets out a three-stage process of elevation: moving from remembrance (an emotional connection), to reflection (an intellectual and epistemic connection), and then to strategic planning (a practical, strategic connection). This progression amounts to a complete programme of spiritual formation.

Turns inner struggle into an opportunity for growth: temptation ceases to be a threat and becomes a driving force for worship and knowledge.

It is brief, yet encapsulates the entire system of thought presented in the text.

Priority 2 (the overarching title and ultimate vision):

“Engineering Paradise from the Heart of Hell”

Reason for selection:

This phrase is a governing metaphor that:

Defines the text’s vision: the aim is not simply to destroy hell, but to extract and create paradise from those very dark materials. It is a hopeful, creative, and active vision.

Carries an engineering and practical dimension: the word “engineering” turns it from a wish into a carefully planned, step-by-step project.

Can be extended across different fields (psychology, sociology, philosophy): it encompasses the engineering of the individual psyche, society, and the spirit.

Priority 3 (analysis of the root causes of problems):

“Desire, suspicion, and envy form the sinister triangle behind all corruption… Blind appetite coupled with blind suspicion, fueled by envy, equals a storm of corruption!”

Reason for selection:

This sentence offers a powerful diagnostic analysis:

It identifies and links three foundational vices: desire (blind longing), suspicion (ill-founded misgiving), and envy (the fire that feeds both).

It makes effective use of metaphors: “sinister triangle,” “blind appetite,” “fuel,” and “storm.” These vividly convey the complexity and destructive force of this triad.

It treats the problem as systemic: together, these three create a corrupting system more dangerous than the simple sum of its parts.

Priority 4 (conditions for fulfilment):

“Connection with the Two Weighty Things is possible only through the system of a sound heart and sincere intention… which equips the heart to receive divine inspirations.” And “Make your hearts Muhammadan.”

Reason for selection:

These statements identify the necessary prerequisite for the entire project:

They introduce the instrument: the “Sound Heart System,” or the “Muhammadan heart.” These concepts transform the heart from a merely emotional organ into a complex faculty of perception and cognition.

They specify the outcome: “receiving inspirations from the All-Merciful.” This means moving from passively yielding to satanic temptations to actively receiving divine guidance.

They emphasize personal responsibility: “Make your hearts Muhammadan” is a call to action and self-cultivation, not to wait for a miracle.

Priority 5 (socioeconomic impact):

“If the planet Earth were to turn itself back to the second space [the space of remembrance and gratitude] for just one day, it would witness the effects, wonders, and changes that follow.”

Reason for selection:

This sentence makes the text’s bold, testable claim:

It is a global sociological claim: changes in individuals’ perceptual systems directly affect the entire planet and the order of the universe. This is a holographic view that links the microcosm and the macrocosm.

It shows the practical outcome of the “Engineering of Paradise” project on a grand scale: the consequences of this individual transformation are not merely personal, but bring about tangible change in the world.

It inspires and gives hope: it shows that an individual’s effort to build paradise within is a meaningful and consequential political-cosmic act.

🌼Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat) 110.141(903)🌼

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[1] الأصول الستة عشر (ط – دار الحديث) ؛ ؛ ص150  A group of scholars, Dar al-Hadith Cultural Foundation, Iran; Qom, first edition, 1423 AH / 1381 SH.

[2] الكافي (ط – الإسلامية) ؛ ج‏5 ؛ ص80 Al-Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥāq, Dar al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, Tehran, fourth edition, 1407 AH.

[3] قاموس قران، ج‏6، ص: 297

[4] البرهان في تفسير القرآن    ج‏2    71  Al-Baḥrānī, Hāshim ibn Sulaymān, al-Biʿtha Foundation, Department of Islamic Studies, Iran, Qom, first edition, 1415 AH.